Former U.S. President Bill Clinton arrived at his suburban New York home early Friday morning following an overnight stay in a city hospital where he had a procedure to open a clogged coronary artery.
Douglas Band, an advisor to the former president, said in a statement that Mr. Clinton was released from New York Presbyterian Hospital in "excellent health."
Mr. Clinton was admitted to the hospital on Thursday, after experiencing discomfort in his chest for several days. In 2004, Mr. Clinton underwent a quadruple by-pass operation at the same hospital, to unclog four of his arteries.
His cardiologist, Dr. Alan Schwartz, said new tests showed that one of his arteries had become completely clogged. Mr. Clinton underwent what was described as a routine hour long procedure to open it.
"He was treated with two stents that were placed into his own coronary artery -- that is the artery that had been supplied previously by this by-pass graft was opened by the placement of two stents -- small metal scaffolds that hold the artery open. The procedure went very smoothly," he said.
Dr. Schwartz stressed that Mr. Clinton did not have a heart attack or suffer any damage to his heart.
Mr. Clinton's wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and their daughter, Chelsea, were with him at the hospital. President Barack Obama spoke with Mr. Clinton following the procedure. The White House said he told the president he felt "absolutely great."
Dr. Schwartz said President Clinton could return to work as early as Monday.
Clinton advisor Douglas Band said the former president is eager to get back to the work of his Foundation and to the Haiti relief and recovery efforts, in which he is playing a key role as U.N. Special Envoy for Haiti.
